Following on from yesterday’s news in the current crisis we have prepared the following information from the PM and Chancellor’s statement and advice for you and hope it is of help and some comfort in the current crisis.

HMG stepping in to pay wages, anyone will be eligible up to £2,500max pcm providing on PAYE, backdated to 1st march , lasting 3 months to begin with, no limits on money being put aside.

1st grants to be paid within weeks & by 1st April. All loans interest free 12 months.

Lots being announced for businesses about paying taxes.

Taxes being deferred for business. There are many taxes being deferred for businesses in effort to keep employees being paid. Income tax deferred to next year along with VAT and other taxes.

UC & TAX CREDIT increase by 1,000pa ... self-employed can access UC to level of SSP. Tax payments deferred till Jan 2021...

Grants being set up for businesses will cover 80% of wages for those on PAYE, this is to avoid laying people off and causing unimaginable hardship nationwide.

Bars, Restaurants, gyms, leisure centres, gyms etc etc...to close at midnight 20/03/20. Already some of these places are saying people can defer membership payments, which one hopes others will follow. Limiting movement of people as much as possible, yet... keeping transport systems open to deliver what's needed and so public health workers and support workers in the supply and publics works can get in to keep things running for us all.

Cost of funding wages & loans will be covered by borrowing month on month (debt management remit).

 The PM., is imploring people to maintain distancing... kids can play with each other in small groups & to keep distance if walking or bike riding... wanting kids to exercise where possible but avoid team games and socialising afterwards.

Appealing to people to shop sensibly and to be considerate towards everyone else, to stop panic buying as there is plenty of stock to keep us all going but emptying the shelves is causing an issue for the stores to keep up.

Shops are not to close, only places where folk gather to socialise so, takeaways are OK.

PPE (Personal Protection Equipment).  There is plenty of stock available with difficulties in delivering having been resolved. Deliveries to most places who need stock should have products by end of the weekend. Drivers restricted hours are being modified for the duration of the crisis to allow flexibility and permit deliveries to be maintained. 

Closing the places listed above should not encourage young folk to gather in their homes as the same contamination issues apply.

More support for voluntary groups with funding is being looked at where they can.

PM says we can’t forbid folk to gather at homes but warn of consequences in doing so. Need to comply with advice please.

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Some suggestions for actions you can do to help yourself written with the collaboration of one of our members, Richard Wootten.

1 - Keep posting on social media, think of interesting content and find interesting things to share and not just any old tut. Think of educational items that are related to learning to drive or driving. Start a quiz on your school page with your own pupils, maybe offer a free lesson, or £10 off a lesson for ‘pupil of the week’.

2 - Get your accounts, and paperwork up to date. I’m sure that your accountant will love you for it, if you use one.

3. Read something to keep your CPD up and don’t let your brain vegetate, try to learn something new that you can bring to the lessons when you get going again.

4. Ask the pupils to spread their lessons out if approaching, or at test readiness. Suggest fortnightly lessons, that way they do not get rusty and remain sharp. This way you show that you are aware of the pupils’ finances and helping in a sympathetic way. You can ‘overlap’ pupils this way and run efficiently and if you have new pupils you can fill up the other spaces that have been created.

5. Keep positive and plan ahead. Is your car due a MoT, get this done if within a month because if the MoT centres close you and your car will be off the road?

6.  Do whatever servicing you can yourself, even if it is just to give the car a thorough cleaning, then get stuck in.

7. Set your self a schedule, a timetable of what you are going to do each day. We live by our timetables, diaries and schedules and if we don’t have one, we soon lose our way, this will affect your mental health and you will become even more stressed. This is seen so often when people leave the armed services where they follow a rigid timetable, learn from what they have gone through and adjust to suit.

8. Get up as usual in the morning and stick to your regular routine, personal hygiene is so easily let slip and is the beginning. Shower and shave, maybe go easy on the soap 😊 to make it last and turn down the temperature to not add to the bills.   

9. Drink water, not tea or coffee and this will save you a few coppers over 3 months but will also give your liver and kidneys a nice flushing and make you feel better in the long run.

10. Make simple dishes and not go for expensive take-aways or home deliveries as these really do add up and are no longer a treat but have become a luxury item.

11. Switch off anything you don’t need switched on. We are used to sitting in our nice warm cars all day so keep away from the heating thermostat. Maybe even put a jumper on and thicker socks and turn it off, if you can.

12. If you have a mortgage then speak to you mortgage company today, don't leave it until desperate as there are 3 month payments holidays available.  If renting then speak with you landlord as there are protection issues available, but if already out of work get started.

13. If you have a finance agreement or leasing agreement, then as above, speak to the finance company or leasing company as they want to keep you going and many will give you a payment holiday or temporary reduced payment scheme to give you some breathing space.

14. Keep positive.

1 - All the above.

2 - Think about offering Video based Theory Lessons.

3 - Look after your health and mental health - reach out.

4 - start offering vouchers to be redeemed later.

5. Work on your website, if you can, and update it as it is probably overdue anyway. Look at your marketing. Don’t disappear from the world, do some marketing and keep your FB etc pages fresh and alive, offer a surgery ( H/Code- not medical 😊 ) to your pupils.

6 Voluntary work, to get you out and about, go for a walk around the block or park and wave to the people on the other side of the road who are in a similar position and may appreciate a smile and wave.

7. Go through a list of all your past pupils and get it up to date, check your address/contacts book in your phone or diary and get rid of all the ones that really and truly are of no use. There is absolutely no point in having 1200 contacts in your phone if they have died, moved or even changed the phone number. 100 good ones is better than a huge army – ask the Persians when they tried to invade Greece in the battle of Thermopylae.

8. Keep positive.

1 - Contact all existing students, check that they are ok and in good health as it is a nice thing to do and not just selfish. You should have been doing this anyway if following the great ideas above but reminding you if you are just skimming through superfluously or jumping to the end – go back and read properly this time. 😊 Let everyone know that lessons are back on and you are raring to go.

2 - Continue to offer Vouchers, but please do not go down the blind alley of 10 lessons for £100 as this just cheapens both you and the profession. Offer maybe a 10% reduction to help people get back on their feet for the first 10 lessons, remember you will have debts to pay, loans to service and bills to catch up with as well.

3 - Post extensively on social media, this also has been covered above but if you don’t have an account now, then get one going and practice while you have the time. So many ADIs say they don’t have time or know how to do it, then now is the time to do it, you have absolutely nothing at all to lose and a business to gain from those who can’t be bothered.

4 - Attractive offers, keep your clothes on for these as the register will be smaller and we need the good ADIs to stay on there to service the huge demand for lessons that will follow.

5 - Discounts to those families hit badly by virus. I cannot advise you here but consider those who may have lost the breadwinner and trying to get a licence so they can work to support the family. This one is for the individual ADI to decide on and where their threshold, both financially and morally lies. 

Start planning now while you have time and keep positive.